Now more than ever, people are making their own cleaners, detergents and stain removers. Sometimes it’s to avoid harsher chemicals in the store bought equivalents, and other times it’s because of cost or just a desire to learn these things. Carpet stains are a common problem, and there are many available recipes for a good homemade carpet stain remover.
If you have kids or pets, or spend any time on your carpets at all, it’s inevitable that you will encounter carpet stains. Some common carpet stain culprits are gum, ink, nail polish, grease, blood, wine, and the list continues.
Below are some great tips for homemade carpet stain removers that have worked wonders.
Gum in the carpet is a big problem at my house. With 7 kids that love to chew it, I’m surprised I don’t have a carpet of gum! Here is a terrific method for removing gum from your carpets: peanut works great on gum that has not been ground into the carpet. Spread the peanut butter on, about a teaspoon or so, and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Next take the back of the spoon and rub the spot to loosen the gum, grab a wet rag and wipe it up like you would getting it out of hair, and then wash the spot.
If the gum has been ground into the carpet, believe it or not WD-40 is like the ground in gum wonder cleaner! Soak the spot that the gum has gotten ground in with WD-40 for about 10 minutes, and then wash with a wet rag. If the spots are particularly stubborn, it might take a few tries to get rid of it, but this works!
Another common carpet stain is nail polish. Grab some non-acetone polish remover with no color or fragrance and blot the area that has the nail polish. Be sure to check the polish removers effect on your carpet first in a tiny, out of the way spot such as a closet. The last thing you want is to make the stain worse or ruin your carpet if it isn’t able to handle the nail polish remover, so be sure to do the test spot. Another polish remover method is to mix ¼ cup of peroxide with 1 tablespoon of ammonia. Soak the stain with the solution and cover with plastic wrap and then place something heavy on the spot and leave overnight. The spot should wash right out in the morning.
A great all purpose homemade carpet stain remover is to use equal parts hair shampoo and water, spray the stain and let it sit and then scrub easily with a rag or softer bristled brush. This works with most stains that I’ve had and it smells good too.
There are many, many more homemade carpet stain removers out there for all kinds of stains. The benefits to using them are numerous, so don’t be afraid to try. You have nothing to lose and the remedies posted in this article WORK! You won’t be disappointed.